悪寒

• Reading: おかん
• Romaji: okan
• Kanji breakdown: 悪 (aku/o) — bad, evil, unpleasant; 寒 (kan/samu) — cold, chill
• Pronunciation: /o.ka.ɴ/

Meaning

Chills; shivering; a sudden sensation of cold accompanying fever or illness onset.

A medical symptom noun describing the shivering or chills that typically precede or accompany fever (発熱). The reading おかん is standard in modern medical usage. The set phrase 悪寒がする (to have chills) or 悪寒を感じる (to feel chills) is commonly used in patient self-reporting and clinical descriptions.

Examples

1. 朝から悪寒がして、体が震え続けた。 I had chills from the morning and couldn't stop shivering.
2. 急に悪寒を感じたので、体温を測ると三十九度あった。 I suddenly felt chills, so I took my temperature and it was 39 degrees Celsius.
3. インフルエンザの初期症状として、悪寒と筋肉痛が現れた。 Chills and muscle pain appeared as early symptoms of the flu.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, symptom reporting, illness, fever

Tone: clinical

Origin & History

Compound of 悪 (aku/o, bad) and 寒 (kan, cold/chill). The combination refers to an unpleasant, abnormal sensation of cold — a medically significant symptom distinct from ordinary cold.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: General